Vegetable peeling machine



Feb. 21, 1939.-

J. J. WORTELBOER VEGETABLE FEELING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1957 ,lrllillm lllf'll v INVENTOR. Ljilmes Jmz- 2616002" 226.5 J ZZZ ATTORN Patented Feb. 21, 1939 I 2,14s,z51*

PATENT OFFICE v 2,148,251 vncETABLE PEELING MACHINE la m es J. Wortelboer, Muskegon Heights, Mich. 1 Application March 3, 1937, Serial No. 129,536

l l s Claims. (01. 146-49) The instant inventionrelates to vegetable peeling machines and more particularly to a machine especially adapted jfortpeeling potatoes, carrots, turnips and the like, The instant applica- 5 tion is a continuation in part of applicants copending application, Serial No. 70,296, filed March 23, 1936. H

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide a machine of the characterabove indicated which is especially adapted for use in hotels, restaurants and the like, although it will be understood of course th at' smaller machines are equally well adapted for domestic or home use; to provide such a machine in which water for carrying ofi the. peeling waste maybe admitted to and drainedfrom' the machine during the peeling operation; to proyide such. a machine having a hopper which maybe manually upended or tilted forvduinping the vegetables after the peelingpperationfh'as been completed; to provide such a macl'iineh aving a rotatable'peeling disc normally disposedat an angle between the verticaland. the horizontal whereby an'efficient peeling operationis ,efiectedi'and, to proufacture, efiicient iri operation 'and utilitarian in l L.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, where- Figure l is a side elevational view of themachine, the hopper thereof beingshownin its normal operating position in full lines and in its upended position in dotted ,line s i s a Figure 2 is a sectional viewthereof on line 2--2 of Figurel; and 1 Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of certain parts thereof taken .on' line 3-3 of Figure 2-, the hopper being fswung f'fromtits" position 40 shown in full lines in Figure "l to its position shown in dotted lines in the same view.

Referring toth'e drawing 'in which like parts of the machine there shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, a frame support comprises a pair of vertically disposed triangularly formed members [0, ll, here shown as castings, secured together in spaced vertical relation by means of threaded rods l2, l3 having securing nuts l4.

A hopper I5 is here shown as urn shaped and is provided with bifurcated feet l6, l1 having stub shafts l8, 19 respectively integral therewith mounted in bearings 20, 2| at the upper ends of each frame member H], II. Apertured plates 22, 23 are secured in the outer ends of the revide such a'machinewhichis economical in man-.

spective stub shafts l8, l9 by means of bolts 24, 25 threaded into these shafts. The upper end of the frame member Ill is provided with a bore 26 within which a plunger 21 is slidably disposed and an expansion spring 28 connected to and encircling this plunger is also disposedv within the bore and bears against a bushing 25 in the top thereof. This springnormally urges the plunger downwardly against stub shaft 18, which is provided with a well 30 adapted to receive the lower end of the plunger when the hopper is in the operative position shown in full lines in Figure 1, thereby maintaining the hopper in this position until the plungeris manually retracted out of engagement with the shaft I8, whereupon the hopper swings by its own weight to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure l.

A rotatable disc 3! having a toothed, abraded or other roughened surface 32 is disposed within the hopper IS in parallelism with the floor thereof and this disc is fixedly secured to a shaft 33 rotatably journalled in the journal bearing 34 as best shown in Figure 2.

A bracket 35 having a flanged portion 36 is secured to the base of the hopper exteriorly thereof in any suitable manner and power means, here shown as an electric motor 31 within an electric circuit (not shown), is mounted on the flanged portion 36 of the bracket 35. The shaft 33 of the rotating disc 3| has a pulley wheel 38 fixedly secured at its outer end and a belt 39 carried by this pulley wheel and by the pulley wheel 40 of the motor provides means for efiectE- ing rotation of the peeling disc 3|.

The hopper I5 is provided with a valved inlet spigot 4| connected with a flexible conduit 42 for supplying water to the hopper and with a valved outlet spigot 43 for draining water therefrom. The hopper is likewise preferably provided with an overflow well 44 connected to the hoppers main compartment by an arcuate port 45 which is substantially horizontal when the hopper is in the operating position shown in full lines in Figure 1, so that waste water may spill through the entire port, which is also of sufficient area to permit vegetable peelings to pass therethrough and the overflow wells outlet end 46 is connected with a. conduit 41 whose other end is connected with the outlet spigot 43.

Operation In operation, vegetables to be peeled, such as potatoes, carrots, turnips and the like, are placed in the hopper, water is admitted to the hopper through the inlet spigot and the electric motor circuit is closed As the peeling disc is thus caused to be rotated, potatoes or other vegetables within the hopper are caused to be milled about and against the peeling disc. Due to the angular inclination of the peeling disc, the vegetables are drawn by the force of gravity acting upon them during the milling of the vegetables obliquely across the face of the disc, thus peeling a greater area of each vegetable, as it contacts the disc, than if the disc were horizontally disposed. Peeling, dirt and froth rising to the top of the water within the hopper are carried into the overflow well and discharged through the outlet conduit connected with the outlet spigot.

When the peeling operation is completed, the hopper may be manually up-ended or tilted from its position shown in full lines in Figure 1 to its position shown in dotted lines in the same view and the peeled vegetables thus dumped therefrom.

It will thus be seen that the machine herein shown and described is adaptable both for commercial and domestic use and that the machine is eflicient in operation, utilitarian in use and economical in manufacture. Although the machine is here shown as power operated it will be understood of course that the peeling disc may be manually operated as by a crank.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the class described, a support having a pair of horizontally spaced aligned bearings, a hopper provided with a pair of stub shafts disposed within said bearings, a plunger mounted in said support slidably to positions of disengagement from one of said stub shafts or of engagement therewith in which latter position of engagement the hopper is maintained with the floor thereof inclined at an angle, a rotatable disc having a roughened surface disposed within the hopper in parallelism with the floor thereof, and power means operatively connected with the disc for effecting rotation thereof.

2. In a structure of the class described, a support having a pair of horizontally spaced aligned bearings, a hopper provided with a pair of stub shafts disposed within said bearings, a plunger mounted in said support slidably to positions of disengagement from one of said stub shafts or of engagement therewith in which latter position of engagement the hopper is maintained with the floor thereof inclined at an angle, a rotatable disc having a roughened surface disposed within the hopper in parallelism with the floor thereof, power means operatively connected with the disc for effecting rotation thereof, an inlet conduit for supplying water to the hopper, and an outlet conduit for draining water from the hopper.

3. In a structure of the class described, a support having a pair of horizontally spaced aligned bearings, a hopper provided with a pair of stub shafts disposed within said bearings, a plunger mounted in said support slidably to positions of disengagement from one of said stub shafts or of engagement therewith in which latter position of engagement the hopper is maintained with the floor thereof inclined at an angle, a rotatable disc having a roughened surface disposed within the hopper in parallelism with the floor thereof, power means operatively connected with the disc for effecting rotation thereof, an inlet conduit for supplying water to the hopper, an outlet conduit for draining water from the hopper, and an overflow conduit from the hopper connected with the outlet conduit.

4. In a structure of the class described, a support having a pair of horizontally spaced aligned bearings, a hopper provided with a pair of stub shafts disposed within said bearings, one of said stub shafts having a radially extending well therein, a plunger mounted in said support slidably out of or into said well, in the latter of Which positions the hopper is maintained with the floor thereof inclined at an angle, a rotatable disc having a roughened surface disposed within the hopper in parallelism with the floor thereof, and power means operatively connected with the disc for effecting rotation thereof.

5. In a structure of the class described, a support having a pair of horizontally spaced aligned bearings, a hopper provided with a pair of stub shafts disposed within said bearings, means associated with said support and one of said stub shafts for releasably maintaining said hopper in a position with its longitudinal axis inclined, said hopper having a main compartment, an overflow well, and an arcuate port in the wall of the upper portion of said hopper connecting said main compartment and said overflow well, the arcuate slot being disposed substantially horizontally when the hopper is maintained in said inclined position.

6. In a structure of the class described, a support having a pair of horizontally spaced aligned bearings, a hopper provided with a pair of stub shafts disposed within said bearings, said hopper having a main compartment, an overflow well, and an arcuate port connecting said main compartment and said overflow well, a plunger mounted in said support slidably to positions of disengagement from one of said stub shafts or of engagement therewith in which latter position of engagement the hopper is maintained at such an angle that its floor is inclined and its arcuate port is disposed substantially horizontally, a rotatable disc having a roughened surface disposed within the hopper in parallelism with the floor thereof, and power means operatively connected with the disc for effecting rotation thereof.

JAMES J. WORTELBOER. 

